Patient Claim Line welcomes the independent inquiry into the quality and safety of maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH), as well as the police investigation into maternity cases.
Our experts are representing those who’ve been asked to take part in the review. The review will look into the deaths of babies and harm caused to both babies and mothers across the Trust’s three sites – including Nottingham City Hospital and the Queen’s Medical Centre.
We strive to help our clients throughout this process, offering advice on the investigation, and help them fight for the answers they deserve.
If you have suffered as a result of poor maternity care from the Nottingham University Hospital Trust, our team are here to help.
We offer a free, no obligation consultation, so if you have any questions or just want to understand how we may be able to help please do get in touch.
Why is there an inquiry?
In May 2022 the Senior Midwife Donna Ockenden was appointed to Chair the independent review of maternity services at the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH).
This came after concerns were raised regarding the quality and safety of maternity services at the Trust, which have consistently failed to achieve the targets set out to improve patient outcomes.
The inquiry is thought to involve roughly 1,800 families, including families from Lincoln and Derbyshire, and will include experienced doctors and midwives working in maternity services right across England.
Over recent years concerns relating to the maternity services provided by the NHS has been under scrutiny, with many mothers experiencing devastating outcomes which has lead to birth injuries and, in some cases, pre and neonatal deaths.
The investigation into the Trust follows a similar review of maternity services in the NHS which had a focussed on Hospitals in Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS trust, and was also chaired by Donna Ockenden. This review has now been concluded and a report has been published.
Are the police involved?
In September 2023 Nottinghamshire Police announced that they were preparing an investigation into maternity cases at the Trust which are of ‘potentially significant concern’.
Additional information has not yet been published, however we understand the investigation was launched after a meeting with Donna Ockenden, where her independent review into services in the city was discussed.
We are currently monitoring the progress of the independent review and police investigation so we are best placed to support our clients and help them understand the findings as and when they are published.
How can our legal experts help you?
We welcome this review and hope that there can be quick and effective change to the maternity services in Nottingham. Unfortunately, this has come too late for some mothers who were affected by poor quality and safety standards at the Trust. Our experts are supporting some who have been asked to be part of the review and had have experienced devesting outcomes.
We aim to ensure these families are supported through the process, and we understand it can feel daunting.
We offer a free consultation, so if you believe you have been affected by substandard maternity care either in Nottingham, or elsewhere in the UK, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
We have a specialist birth injury team who can help you navigate the legal process and can help get the answers you need and also access to support for you and your family.
One of the questions which we get from people looking for our help is how is this going to be funded. We know that this can be an uncertain time which is why we offer a No Win, No Fee arrangement. This means that there’s no upfront payment and no financial risk to you.
Christian Beadell who heads up the team helping former patients at the Trust commented: “Whilst we do welcome this investigation it is deeply troubling to see that there are so many families whose lives have been potentially impacted by poor care at the Trust.
“What is equalling concerning is a review of the services available at Nottingham City Hospital which shows that as recently as July 2023, the maternity department continues to fail to meet its target despite the emphasis of the inquiry on making significant and immediate improvements amidst growing concerns mothers and babies were not safe.
“Urgent action is needed to ensure that lessons are learnt and that the issues which have been identified are dealt with to prevent others suffering as our clients have.”
Key allegations
Concerns over the quality in maternity services at the Trust
Concerns relating to maternal deaths
Questions over whether there harm caused to mothers and babies could have been avoided
The police are preparing an investigation
What are the next steps?
Our team of experts continues to monitor the progression of the independent review and police investigation so we are best placed to support our clients and help them understand the findings as and when they are published.
Have you been impacted?
If you have been affected by the maternity services at Nottingham University Hospital Trust and you would like to know if you have claim, we are happy to have a no-obligation chat. We worked solely on a No Win, No Fee basis which means there is no financial risk to you.. Get in touch with our specialist team and they will guide you through next steps and how we can help.
Find out if you can claimOur team of experts will support you all the way
Our Group Actions team is led by Christian Beadell and Francesca Paul. They are supported by Sion Wynne, and a dedicated team of talented medical negligence solicitors. The team forms part of a wider medical negligence department, with Peter Rigby at the helm. Our Group Actions team specialises in bringing forward collective clinical negligence claims for defective medical equipment, and have a track record of successfully securing compensation for our clients.
Peter Rigby
Director of Medical Negligence
Peter leads the Medical Negligence Serious Injury department, which now boasts some of our most knowledgeable, dedicated and hardworking team members.
Peter is dedicated to supporting victims of catastrophic medical negligence injuries and endeavours to provide a clear and coherent approach to claims. He recognises the effects serious injuries can have and therefore ensures his customers’ need for support is met. Peter also has a vast amount of experience working with customers who have been injured abroad and is able to act under international law to provide the best outcomes.
Email me
Christian Beadell
Partner, Head of Strategy and Legal Operations
Christian is Head of Medical Negligence at Patient Claim Line and has specialised in clinical negligence claims since qualifying in 1998; having dealt with a wide variety of claims throughout his career. He is also featured in the Legal 500 as a recommended claimant solicitor in the North West.
Christian qualified as a solicitor in 1998, specialising in clinical negligence. From 2010 onward he has had a particular interest in gynaecological and urogynaecological claims, having represented several hundred claimants in the George Rowland Litigation against the Liverpool Women’s and Aintree Hospitals. This investigated the treatment given to women in the Merseyside area over several decades, and in particular focused on the introduction and development of mesh into the UK in both the treatment of stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. The development of this area involved pursuing claims under a unique ADR protocol with the NHS and also looking to develop the current thinking on the valuation of compensation for complex urinary symptoms. He has successfully recovered hundreds of thousands of pounds in compensation on behalf of my clients.
Christian was also involved in setting up and chairing a Claimant Support Group for those involved in the Rowland litigation, which provided a discussion forum for the many women who were left isolated and damaged by negligent gynaecological treatment. He now co-ordinates the firm’s mesh claims and has delivered training and commented extensively on the medico-legal implications of urogynaecological / mesh complications. He is a member of APIL, Liverpool Law Society and Legal 500 recommended.
Email me
Francesca Paul
Associate Solicitor
Francesca Paul is an Associate, Senior Solicitor and Team Leader within the Clinical Negligence Department. She is one of the driving Solicitors in the Group Litigation Team dealing with this niche and specialist area of work that Fletchers undertakes.
Francesca previously worked in Nottingham, dealing with Group Action work. She now works at Fletchers, bringing with her those years of experience heading up a team of 10 people. Francesca is involved in the early identification of potential new Group Litigation Work and analyses information from the collective pool of new enquiries into the business, of which there are hundreds per week looking for hot spots or recurrent issues which might suggest a potential pool of Claimants.
One of the highlights for Francesca and her team is that they have successfully recovered over a million pounds in compensation for clients who have received treatment from a single orthopaedic surgeon who was operating in the Colchester area. Her role requires a specific set of skills, patience and a forensic approach to detail whilst being able to see the wider picture.
Francesca has previously acted for a claimant in a case that reached the Supreme Court in the case of NA v Nottinghamshire County Council.
Email me
Sion Wynne
Senior Solicitor
Sion is a team leader and senior solicitor with many years’ experience in dealing with a wide range of medical specialisms and different types of injuries. He is an experienced medical negligence solicitor and manages a team of lawyers within our department.
Sion joined Fletchers in 2018 as a Team Leader in the Medical Negligence Department. Throughout his 24 year legal career, he has specialised in conducting medical negligence claims on behalf of Claimants, previously working for other highly ranked leading firms in the field.
He has undertaken claims covering the full spectrum of medical specialisms, clinical settings, categories of defendant and types of negligent medical care and treatment.
These include high value and complex maximum severity cases, such as those involving limb amputations and permanent neurological injuries.
Sion is experienced at representing bereaved families at inquests and has a particular interest in fatal accident claims.
Notable Cases
JI v Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Trust: £1.25m recovered for client left paraplegic after spinal anaesthesia.
RS v Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: £150,000 recovered for client in respect of a failure to recognise complications after a kidney transplant, where her father was the donor.
JN v MA: £100,000 recovered for a client who suffered 2 years persistent pain and disability after knee replacement surgery undertaken as a private patient.
CS v Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust: £400,000 recovered for a child who sustained Erb’s palsy during her delivery.
WO’C (Deceased) v Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; £450,000 recovered for the family of the deceased who died as a result of a delay in diagnosing a brain tumour.
Email me